Destiny is a funny thing
by myviolettears
Summary: What if Aang died in the massacre of the Air Nomads? The Avatar would be reborn into the Water Tribe. 100 years have passed and Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation is looking for the Avatar.
1. Prolouge

Chapter One - Prologue

Aang accepted his fate as the Avatar and went along with the council's decision to send him to the Eastern Air Temple. He was killed in the massacre along with every other Airbender.  
Koah, a Water Tribe Avatar who was born after Aang was killed was killed in the first Fire Nation raid on the Southern Water Tribe, 40 years of age.  
Chiyoko was the Earth Kingdom Avatar who lived his Avatar duties in secret until his town was overrun by Fire Nation troops. He was killed at 44 years of age.

The Fire Nation didn't know if the Avatar was alive and didn't know if they were in the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation.

* * *

**AN: If you thought the main character was the Water Tribe Avatar, you were wrong! Tee hee. This was all that was needed in this chapter, really to set things up.**


	2. End of a search

Chapter 2: The end of a search

Banished Prince Zuko was on the bow of his warship, practicing his firebending under the supervision of his Uncle Iroh. The banished Prince was fed up with the basics of firebending, he was sixteen years old had had been bending since he was a small child. "Again!" his Uncle ordered. Zuko ran the sequence of blasts concentrating on his foot movements and arm movements. "Keep up your breath Prince Zuko" his master told him. Zuko listened to his Uncle this time and ran the drill focusing on his breathing. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Zuko had perfected the drill. "Good" Iroh took a sip of his jasmine tea. "We'll start the next set tomorrow"  
The one eyebrow of Zuko's twitched. This displeased him but he knew to trust his Uncle and didn't say anything. "I'm going to bed" Zuko said and stormed off to his quarters. Iroh shook his head and continued to sip his tea.

* * *

While travelling to far South during the summer the sun will stay up day. It can make people insane by the term 'midnight sun madness'. Zuko didn't know if it was evening or night but he knew his Uncle would bring in dinner, since he had none. The Fire Nation insignia that hung upon his wall made it easier to plan what he would do if he found the Avatar. Every night his drive to find the avatar grew stronger. He wanted his thrown, his honour, and his father's love. If finding the avatar was the only way to have all back after he lost it; Zuko would spend every day for the rest of his life searching. Zuko never gave up. A knock on the metal door was expected and Zuko was reluctant to answer it. "I thought you might be hungry. Do you want to talk?" Ex-general Iroh was holding a bowl of rice and lizard-chicken curry as Zuko could see through the slight opening he created. The light from the hallway engulfed Zuko's face as he opened the door to let his Uncle in. "You seem to be more eager than usual to advance in firebending lately. Do you want to talk about it?" Iroh put the food on Zuko's bed and sat next to him. "If I do face the Avatar, how will I be able to defeat him?" Zuko look concerned, it was all he could think about.  
"You won't find him" Iroh said. Zuko's head jolted upwards in surprise. His uncle had been so supportive of his quest that this sudden change of heart was a shock. "Your father, grandfather and great-grandfather all looked and failed. Why would you be able to find him so easily?"  
"Because their honour didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture, mine does" The pressure on Zuko's shoulder made him rethink.  
"You're not going to give this up, are you?" Zuko shook his head.  
"I'll spend every day of my life searching for him. All four corners of the globe, high and low, the coward won't be able to hide from me"  
"I think that is enough talk for today" Iroh stretched as he sat up. "I'm going to bed." Zuko sat in his room with the flickering candle until he made up his mind. The flame went out.

* * *

The next morning, Zuko was out on the bow of his ship baring the sub-zero temperatures of the South Pole to train in his firebending. He had always been jealous of his younger sister's skills and talent in the art. How much had she progressed over the last few years? She was the favoured one, the special one. He blasted a ball of fire out of sheer anger and frustration. Zuko was still learning the basics and his uncle wouldn't let him advance already. "Good morning Prince Zuko, working hard as ever I see" Zuko didn't acknowledge his uncles presences. "Breakfast is ready" once again Zuko ignored him. After a few minutes he stopped and turned to Iroh. "Breakfast sounds good" Iroh smiled.

* * *

"No sign of him yet." Zuko said after taking a sip of his uncles jasmine tea.  
"Should we turn around and look around the Earth Kingdom?" the houndsman questioned.  
"Not yet, I have a good feeling about this place" Zuko got up and left the room. He was not in a good mood today after getting little to no sleep. His mind was racing about all the possibilities of capturing or not capturing the Avatar. He was getting really stressed about it. The only thing that calmed him down was firebending. Zuko felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from leaving. "We should start on the next set now" General Iroh said to his nephew. Zuko gave the smallest of smiles to his uncle, a mere twitch of the lips but he appreciated Iroh being there for him after no one else wanted to be.

"Again!" Iroh commanded Zuko and the two guards he was duelling. They ran the sequence Zuko learned in the morning. Iroh noticed Zuko was only focusing on the physical side of firebending, not the spiritual side. To master both gave a bender enormous amount of strength. Iroh stood up "No, power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles! The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire" Iroh demonstrated by blasting a small amount of fire just near Zuko. "Get it right this time" Zuko didn't take this too well.  
"Enough! I've been drilling this sequence all day, teach me the next set. I'm more than ready"  
"No, you are impatient. You have yet to master the basics. Drill it again!" Iroh said the order more aggressive than he ever had with Zuko. Zuko extended his leg and blasted fire which knocked out one of the guards he was duelling. "The Avatar is the master of all four elements; I will need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!" Zuko stared into his Uncles eyes waiting for a response. "Very well but first, I must finish my roast duck" Zuko was disgusted and frustrated, he held his hand up and expected fire to shoot out but it didn't. A gust of wind was in the same directed. Zuko didn't believe in coincidences and Iroh stopped gulping down his roast duck. _A fluke, a coincidence, nothing related at all. _Zuko didn't buy it. He focused to reproduce the same feelings again to test it out. Once again, no fire just a gust of air. Iroh could not believe what he was seeing. "Uncle" Zuko said in a small voice. "I think I found the Avatar."

* * *

**AN: This is the brain child of two fangirls after watching Korra and sculling 2 litres of coke and three bags of lollies. At three thirty in the morning. This is a short chapter but the rest won't be. Don't expect too regular updates since I have a lot going on right now but I hope to update every fortnight or month. **


	3. The Avatar Returns

Chapter 3: The Avatar returns

Zuko hadn't spoken to anyone since his training a few hours ago. He was confused and unsure what to do. After pacing his room, trying airbending a few more times he had sat down to meditate. _This is crazy_, he thought. _How could this be possible_? The flames burning the candles rose and dwindled with Zuko's breath. _Clear my mind of all thoughts, focus on my breathing_. A knock on the door made Zuko infuriated, who dares to interrupt his meditation? Zuko opened the door and saw his uncle; Zuko relaxed a lot, the one person who he wanted to talk to. "You are still confused"  
"What should I do?"  
"We could turn around now and go to the Fire Nation... But who knows what will happen then" Iroh stroked his beard. "You could sail around forever and live peacefully, pretend this never happened" the look on Zuko's face said it all. That was not an option. "Or, you could master the four elements"  
Zuko looked to the Fire Nation insignia that hung over his bed. He was not going to turn himself in, as Iroh had said, who knows what they would do to him. And doing nothing angered him. Learning the four elements would be a good thing... "Let's say I mastered the elements, what then?"  
"It's the Avatar's duty to keep peace and balance in the world, what do you think you should do?"  
"End the war" Zuko said without hesitation. "But Uncle, no one would trust me. How would I even get a waterbending teacher?"  
"Once they find out you are the Avatar, they would love to help you"  
"If they let me explain myself"  
"The water tribes are filled with caring people. They would at least listen" Iroh spent a great amount of time studying waterbenders, he would know. "I'm going for a walk" Zuko got up.  
"We're surrounded by ocean and ice! It's dangerous Prince Zuko!" Iroh begged his nephew.  
"I'll be fine"

* * *

The treacherous terrain of the South Pole made it no walk in the park for Zuko to get across. _This would be a handy time to learn waterbending. _"You are the most sexist, immature, nutbrained! I'm embarrassed to be related to you!" A girl's voice shouted. Zuko could see two figures in the distance. The one standing was shouting and waving her hands back. The tall block of ice had a massive crack in it. "Ever since mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!" Another crack appeared in the ice. The girl was a waterbender. She had no idea what was going on. Zuko ran a little closer. "Ahh, Katara" the boy sitting on the ice said quietly but was interrupted. "I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks, let me tell you, not pleasant!" The waterbender made another crack in the ice. "Katara, settle down..."  
"No, that's it! I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your own!" The ice had another crack in it which went all the way through. It started to lean towards the two on the ice. Zuko knew that the girl wouldn't be able to use waterbending to stop it from crushing her and her companion. He ran towards them leaping from one ice block to the next. "Ahh!" The girl screamed when the ice almost toppled her. Zuko pushed her and the boy out of the way and firebended the ice into water. The water splashed on him. "Are you alright?" he offered his hand to the girl he pushed out the way. Her blue eyes were widened and she was shaking. Not from the cold as the girl was wearing a thick water tribe parka. Zuko was pushed down from the side. He looked over and saw the other boy helping the waterbender. "Katara are you alright?" she nodded. The water tribe boy looked at Zuko. "What do you want? Firebender" Zuko started to stand up.  
"I was just trying to help, that ice could have toppled you"  
"We don't need any help from a firebender!"  
"Sokka!" the girl- Katara said. "Thank you" she bowed to Zuko. Sokka looked away with his arms folded. Zuko smiled weakly. "Not a problem" he bowed back. She didn't have a problem with him.  
"What are you doing around here anyway" Sokka asked. "Spying on us? Well you're not getting anything out of me"  
"I was... looking for someone" he looked at Katara. She may be a waterbender who couldn't even control her bending but she _was_ a waterbender. She hid behind Sokka. "You're here for Katara! No Fire Nation scum is taking my sister!" She looked over her brother's shoulder. Sokka was right, he was here for Katara, the waterbender but not for the reasons he thought. Zuko sighed, _they would listen Uncle, they would help me Uncle_. "Yes" he looked at Sokka. "I am here for the waterbender, but not the reason you think!" he quickly defended. Sokka gave him daggers. "Look, I'm..." Zuko took a deep breath; he had to come to terms with it sooner or later. "I'm the Avatar; I was looking for a waterbending teacher" Sokka burst into laughter.  
"That's a good one! Katara, did you hear that?" The scowl on Zuko's face said it all. "Look, why would be believe you. We should be getting home now"  
"Sokka, we have to listen to him! What if he is telling the truth?"  
"Prove it firebender" Sokka hated being played by a firebender. Zuko took a step back and used the one airbending move he knew to bend air in Sokka's face. The two water tribe siblings stared in surprise and… awe. "No way" Sokka was the first to speak.  
"I was hoping to-" Zuko's quick paced start of a ran was cut off by Katara.  
"The Avatar! You could end the war and stop this suffering!" Katara was filled with hope. Something that was made quiet obvious to Zuko that she had not had that feeling in a long time. "I… ah" Zuko rubbed the back of his head, he had not thought of this. He didn't know what to do. Katara basically grabbed Zuko's hand and led him to their tribe.

* * *

"Zuko, this is the entire village. Entire village, Zuko" A group of women and small children were huddled together. Zuko knew his grandfather- Fire Lord Azulon had made it his mission to wipe out the Southern Water Tribe, but not this bad. Where the men? Were they out fighting? They were all, scared of him and he knew why. "Um... hello there" Zuko smiled weakly to them. The small children hid behind the elder women. "Is everything alright?" he asked.  
"It's not every day that you granddaughter and grandson bring a firebender home. Let alone the Avatar" Zuko looked away; he didn't really like that title. The eldest in the tribe spoke out.  
"Zuko, this is my grandmother" Katara introduced the two.  
"Just call me Gran-Gran" the elderly woman said. "Katara, you have chores to do" Katara was led away, giving one glance back at the Avatar who abruptly entered her life. "What happened to the men of the tribe?" Zuko asked Sokka. The winced expression on Sokka's face told Zuko to regret saying it. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"  
"No, it's fine. Two years ago my father and the men of our tribe left to fight in the war" What was Zuko to say, 'I'm sorry?' well it was better than nothing.  
"I'm sorry" the one thing Zuko could sympathise with was two years without seeing their fathers.  
"What about you? I doubt you are travelling around the world with parental supervision" Sokka smiled at Zuko.  
"I'm with my Uncle"  
"What happened to-"  
"I was banished from my home by my father" Zuko's fingers traced his scar.  
"He gave you that scar, didn't he" it wasn't a question. What did this water tribe boy have to do with his personal business? Zuko did pry into his, it was fair. "Yes, he did" Sokka's rage was visible but he didn't say anything. "So, you need a waterbending master, right?"  
"Yes, that would be a good idea"  
"Katara is the only waterbender in the South Pole, and she's… not very good"  
"So to the North Pole then?" Sokka nodded. "How will you get there?"  
"How do you think I got here? I have a ship" Sokka raised an eyebrow. "It's not the best but it does a good job"  
"Could, you take Katara with you?" this came as a surprise regarding how Sokka acted around Zuko when they first met. "She's a waterbender and she wants nothing more than to learn how"  
"Okay, we can go together" Zuko raised his eyebrow. "Do you want to come?"  
"I need to protect the-"  
"Sokka, think about it" Zuko went over to Katara who was starting the fire for the dinner.

"Need some help with that?" Zuko asked Katara who was failing to use spark rocks properly. Katara looked up. Zuko was a firebender! He could easily start the fire! "Yeah, I'm not good with spark rocks" she admitted. Zuko took a deep breath and let out a small flame, just enough to start the fire. "I've always wanted to be able to bend like that" Katara spoke under her breath.  
"A firebender?" Zuko asked.  
"No, be able to know what you're doing and being confident that you wouldn't screw up"  
"Do you want to go to the North Pole with me?" This was Sokka's idea after all.  
"I'd- I'd love to! But I don't think Sokka would be okay with it" her lighted expression fell.  
"Actually, it was Sokka's idea" the truth and nothing but the truth.  
"When should we leave?" Katara was filled with hope that it was heartbreaking to know that he was the one responsible for her loss of hope. "Soon, but I need to get my ship set up and-"  
"This is incredible! You have changed my life!" Katara ran off to tell her grandmother of the news. It was decided then, Zuko was going to master the elements and end the war. He was already a failure to his nation; he might as well do something for the others.

* * *

"Zuko! Where were you? I was so worried" Iroh hugged his nephew when he boarded the ship. Zuko didn't realise how long he was gone for. "I... was out for a walk, like I said" he would tell Iroh his decision in private later. "Some walk"  
"I got lost" Zuko struggled to get out of his uncles vice-tight grip.  
"You must be starving! I'll get you some food" and with that Iroh ran off to the cook to get some- presumably roast duck. Zuko just wanted to sit down and talk to someone who knows him better than he knows himself.

"I have some nice hot roast duck" Iroh opened the door to his nephew's room and saw him sitting on his bed, head in his hands. Iroh didn't say anything. "Uncle, I'm so confused, on my walk I met some people from the water tribe... they found out who I was"  
"The Avatar or-"  
"Yes, the Avatar. I ended up promising to take the only waterbender to the North Pole to learn waterbending."  
"Prince Zuko, you a caring young man. You never go back on your promises, that is one of your most honourable qualities."  
"I know Uncle, I know" Iroh placed the bowl of duck on the table and left. He would help his nephew through anything.

When Iroh returned in the morning, Zuko wasn't in his room and the duck was untouched. He was out on deck, practising. Not firebending but airbending. "Apparently, airbending is about dodging and evading attacks. The forms are based on circular movements" Wise, aged Iroh gave his nephew advice. The switch of forms made Zuko's airbending more powerful. Zuko had told the helmsmen to go to the water tribe, and then he would go with Katara to the Northern Tribe to learn waterbending.

* * *

**AN: So Zuko is going to save the world! :D** **Please review!**


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